"The love of wisdom"

“THE very name of philosophy means the love of wisdom. To philosophize, then, is to pursue wisdom through a consistent effort of reflexion, which itself entails definite ethical requirements; for indeed no man can, at one and the same time, both philosophize and indulge in such ways of life as are incompatible with philosophical thinking. Yet even supposing that these moral conditions are satisfied, the fact remains that, by its very nature, a philosopher’s life is a constant effort to acquire wisdom.”

~Etienne Gilson: History of Philosophy and Philosophical Education, (Aquinas Lecture, Fall 1947; Marquette Univ.)

Portrait of a Philosopher, by Salvator Rosa,

(1615-1673). Oil on canvas; private collection.